Machine for sharpening pencils.



PATENTED SEPT. l, 1908.

0. NIGKUM. MACHINE FOR SHARPE-NING PENGILS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1907. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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all ;H IL m ks I A Q) I l/VVE/VTUH UarZNickum W/ T/VESSES ATTORNEYS No.897,647. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908. (L N-IGKUM.

MACHINE FOR SHARPENING PENOILS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.18, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES E W. C W 7 5 v. T E MM n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CARL NIOKUM, or LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR SHARPENING PENCILS.

Application filed September 18, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL NICKUM, a citizen of the United States,residing in Logansport, county of Cass, and State of Indiana, haveinvented a certain new and useful Machine for Sharpening Pencils, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention is a machine for sharpening or pointing pencils, the samebeing adapted for pointing lead pencils without breaking the core orlead thereof.

In machines heretofore designed for sharpening lead. pencils, difficultyhas been experienced in keeping the cutters in a sharp condition, inconsequence of which the lead or core of a pencil is broken. by dullcutters, thus involving waste and delay. Furthermore, it is usual tofeed the pencil by hand to the cutting or point-producing mechanism, andit frequently happens that too much of the point is cut away, againinvolving waste and loss, and, further, that the point i is broken byfeeding the pencil too'rapidly, due to thrusting it forcibly intocontact with the cutting devices or too far into the path of the same.

My machine dispenses with cutting mechanism for removing the sheath andpointing the core of a pencil, for the reason that said machine isequipped with a solid rotary abrading member, preferably embodied in theform of an emery wheel. The machine operates rapidly to produce therequired point on the pencil without breaking the core, or removing toomuch of the sheath and the core, the pencil being brought to aneedlelike point, if required. The abrading member operates on allgradesof lead pencils to produce the required point thereon withoutbreaking the core, and it is ready for service at all times. There ispractically no wear on the emery wheel, so that it will lastindefinitely.

In a preferred embodiment of the machine, the abrading member is carriedon a shaft which is equipped with a balance wheel to insure steadyrunning and a relatively high speed, said shaft being driven from adriving shaft which may be operated by hand or by power. Adjacent to oneside or face of the abrading member is a work holder which lies at an'angle to one face of said member, for presenting the pencil at a properangle thereto. The pencil is adapted to be supported at one end in saidholder, and, at its other end, the pencil is held in a chuck, the latterbeing Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Serial No. 393,571.

operated in such manner that the pencil is rotated in an oppositedirection to the abrading member, whereby the pencil and the abradingmember are rotated away from each other while they are kept inengagement, the result of which is to produce the required point on thepencil without breaking the lead core thereof.

An important element of my machine consists of means for yieldablythrusting the pencil into engagement with a point forming mechanism,whereby the pencil is adapted to be fed endwise automatically as thesheath and core are cut away. Such thrusting or feeding the pencil isassociated, preferably, with the rotatable chuck for the purpose ofmoving the latter and the pencil toward the point producing mechanism.

t is preferred to make the chuck and the pencil feed mechanismadjustable so as to accommodate pencils of any length, and in practice,after the chuck has been adjusted to the length of the pencil, the feedor tension device is adjusted in such manner that the chuck is pressedyieldingly toward the abrading or cutting mechanism for the purpose offeeding said pencil automatically thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one practicalembodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to beunderstood as illustrative only, and not as defining the limits of theinvention.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a pencil sharpening machine embodying thisinvention, a part of the casing being removed for showing certainworking parts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection, partly in elevation, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 look ing in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on the line44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in section and partly inelevation, showing the rotary chuck and the automatic feed mechanismwhich is associated with said chuck, the plane of the section of Fig. 5being indicated by the dotted line 55 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a crosssection on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view on the line7-7 of Fig. 8 showing the means for presenting the pointed end of a leadpencil into engagement with one side of a rotary abrading member. Fig. 8is a cross section through the pencil holder and a portion of theabrading member.

; The machine is provided with a suitable base and a frame forsupporting the several working parts. In the practical embodiment ofsaid machine shown in the drawings, the base, A, is constructed so as toprovide a chamber, a, for the accommodation of certain working parts,and another chamber, a, into which falls the material removed from thesheath and core of a lead pencil. The chamber, a, is closed, usually, bya cover, A, shown in Fig. 3, and said cover is fastened in placeremovably by appropriate screws, a which are adapted to be threaded intosockets, (t the latter being tapped in the end walls of the base, A.Said base is provided, furthermore, with suitable lugs, (1*, whichreceive the screws, a which are adapted to fasten the machine on a tableor other suport. p It is preferred to divide the cover, A, and the base,A, longitudinally in such manner that the shaft bearings, b, b, areprovided in the meeting edges of the base and the removable cover. Thebearings, b, accommodate the horizontal transverse shaft, B, whereas theother bearings, 12, receive a similar shaft, C, the latter beingparallel to the shaft, B. Said shaft, G, is the driving shaft of theJTlLClllIlG, and as shown in Fig. 1, the shaft,

C, is provided with a hand-crank, 0, whereby the shaft may be operatedby hand, but it is evident said shaft, C, may be operated by power fromany suitable source. The shaft,

0, is provided with the gear, (Z, which meshes with a gear pinion, d,the latter being provided on the shaft, B. This shaft carries also abalance wheel, D, and an abrading member, E. The balance wheel, D, issecured on or may be fastened to the shaft, B,

so as to operate in the chamber, a, of the base, whereby the balancewheel and the gears, d, d, are adapted to be inclosed by and within thebase, A, and its movable cover, A.

The shaft, B, extends across the chambers, a, a, of the base, and theabrading wheel, E, is secured on said shaft so as to operatewithin thechamber, a. The abrading member consists preferably of a Wheel composedof emery, carborundum or other abrasive material, and said wheel isprovided with a broad periphery, the respective faces of the wheel beingparallel. The shaft, B, extends at one end beyond the base, A, and itschamber, a, and on the protruding end of the shaft is secured a spiralgear, f, which gear meshes with a complemental spiral gear, f. Saidgear, 7, is fast with the shaft, f which is provided at one end of anelongated gear, F, the latter extending at an angle to the plane of oneface of the abrading member or wheel, E, see Fig. 1. The elongated gearis journaled in suitable bearings which are provided in the upstandingposts, F, F, and said gear, F, is driven by the intermeshing spiralgears from the driven shaft, B, of the machine.

The frame work of the machine is shown as consisting of brackets, G, G,the former being attached to that part of the base, A, which is providedwith the chamber, a while the bracket, G, is fastened to that part ofthe base having the chamber, a, but it will be understood that thebracket and the base may be cast integral, if desired.

H designates a slide rail occupying a fixed position in the machine,said slide rail being at an angle to one face of the abrading wheel, E,and parallel to the elongated pinion, F. The slide rail is attached toor integral with asupporting bracket, G, of that part of the basecontaining the chamber, a, but the other end of the slide rail isattached in a 1 suitable way to the bracket, G, as for example, by ascrew or screws, h, whereby the bracket, G, supports the outer end ofthe slide rail and the upstanding post, F 'As shown, the slide rail isprovided in its upper edge with a series of notches, h, although otherforms of teeth may be employed, or the teeth may be dispensed with, ifdesired. Said slide rail provides a support for a chuck carriage, I,andv a feed carriage, J, said carriages being movable lengthwise of therail, and the feed carriage being adjustable on said rail independentlyof the chuck carriage. Said chuck carriage is slidable freely back andforth on the rail, H, without any interlocking engagement With thetoothed edge, 7L, thereof, and said carriage extends a suitable distance above the rail for the purpose of bringing the chuck intocooperative relation with the elongated gear, F.

The chuck, indicated at K, is carried by an arbor or spindle, 7c, whichis mounted for rotation freely in the upper part of the carriage, I, andsaid chuck is provided with a gear wheel, 70, the latter meshing withthe elongated gear, F, at any point in the ad justment of the chuckcarriage on the slide rail, H, whereby the chuck may be operated by saidgear, F, when adjusted to accommodate pencils of different lengths. Thechuck is of any suitable construction to receive the butt end of a leadpencil, indicated at X, and this chuck is in cooperative relation to aholder, L. Said holder is supported in, preferably, a fixed position bythe bracket, G, or the post, F, and said holder is at one side of orclose to the operating face of the abrading wheel, E. The holder, L, isprovided with a taperin'g socket, Z, the axis of which is inclined tothe face of the rotating abrading wheel, Er Said socket opens throughone side of the holder, L, which is next to the abrading Wheel, and alsothrough the rear end of said holder, whereby the pencil, X, is adaptedto extend from the chuck, K, to the holder, L, the socket of whichpresents the end of the pencil to be pointed at an angle to the plane ofrotation of the abrading wheel.

toward the abrading wheel.

The arbor or spindle, is, of the chuck is shown in Fig. 5 as having anannular groove,

rm, into which extends the inner end of a screw, m, shown in Fig. 6,whereby the chuck spindle is retained in the carriage, I, from endwisemovement.

By making the chuckcarriage movable freely on the slide rail, H, I amenabled to provide means for automatically moving said carriage normallytoward the abrading wheel, and. in a preferred embodiment of thisautomatic feed mechanism I employ a yield able pressure device whichcooperates with the feed carriage, J, and the chuck carriage, I, in suchmanner that the chuck is pressed yieldably or held under tensionrelative to the abrading wheel.

The feed carriage, J, is represented as a slide fitted loosely on therail, H, and this carriage is provided with a dog, j, in the form of aninclined lip or shoulder, the latter being adapted for engagement withone of the notches or teeth, h, on the slide rail, whereby the carriageJ, is adapted to have interlocking engagement with said slide rail. Theupper part of the carriage is provided with a transverse opening, 1,through which loosely passes a stem or spindle, M. The front end of thisstem or spindle is fitted in the chuck carriage, I, and held in a fixedposition relative thereto by the pin, n, the rear end of said stemhaving a stop pin, n. On this spindle is loosely fitted a spring, 0,which is held in place by the stem, the respective ends of said springengaging with the feed carriage, J, and the chuck carriage, I. Said feedcarriage is movable on the rail, H, to a position quite close to thechuck carriage in order to compress the spring, 0, which is thus putunder tension and is caused to act on the chuck carriage so as to pressthe chuck The spring is thus placed under tension to serve primarily asthe yielding feed mechanism for the chuck, and it operates to force theend portion of the pencil into engagement with the abrading wheel, andto keep said end of the pencil in contact with the abrading wheel, thuscom pensating for the material which is cut away from the sheath and thecore by the action of the pointing mechanism.

The operation of the machinemay be described as follows: The carriages,I and J, are moved backwardly on the slide rail so as to permit theintroduction of a pencil of any desired length into the socket, Z, ofthe holder, L, after which the carriage, I, is moved toward the butt endof'the pencil, in order that the chuck, K, may receive said end of thepencil. The feed carriage, however, is siibsequently moved along theslide rail and relative to the stem, M, for the purpose of compressingthe spring, 0, and the lip or dog, j, of said feed carriage is droppedinto engagement with one of the teeth, 72/,

of said slide rail, whereby the carriage, J, is locked on the slide railby the engagement of this dog with one of said teeth, and said spring,0, pressing said carriage, J, into such fixed engagement with said sliderail. The spring, however, acts 011 the carriage, I, so as to press thechuck toward the holder, L, and the pencil is thus forced through thesocket of the holder and into. engagement with the face of the abradingwheel. The pencil is inclined at an angle to said abrading wheel, andsaid pencil is rotated by the chuck and. the gearing in an oppositedirection to that of the abrading wheel. The shaft, C, is rotated eitherby hand or by power, and the gears, d, d, rotate the shaft, B, at anincreased speed as compared with that of the shaft, C. Said shaft, B,rotates the balance wheel, D, and the abrading wheel, E, and the shaft,B, furthermore, drives the spiral gears, f, for the purpose of rotatingthe elongated gear, F, the latter in turn rotating the chuck, K, whichchuck "rotates the pencil in the holder, L.

It will be noted that the pencil is rotated on its longitudinal axis, issupported in a position inclined to the operating face of the abradingwheel, and is moved, fed or thrust endwise under yielding pressure bythe feed mechanism associated with the chuck carriage, whereby the endportion of the pencil in engagement with the face of the abrading wheelmay be pointed without breaking the core or lead in the sheath. Theseoperations are important features of my improved machine because theyall contribute to the pointing of a pencil rapidly, economically andwithout danger of breaking the lead, irrespective of the quality of thelead in the encil.

It will be observed that the carriages, I and J, are adjustable on theslide rail for the purpose of accommodating any suitable length ofpencil, and, furthermore, said carriages may be adjusted simultaneouslyby reason of the connection between said carriages afforded by the stem,M, although in the present construction, the feed carriage, J, isnecessarily adjustable on the slide rail independently of the chuckcarriage. Such independent adjustment is required in order to place thechuck carriage under the tension of the spring, 0.

I have found that the employment of a balance wheel on the shaft whichcarries the rotary abrading wheel is quite advantageous for the reasonthat a heavy rim on said balance wheel insures easy and steady runningof the abrading wheel and causes the abrading wheel to rotate at acomparatively high rate of speed which enables the machine to rapidlyproduce the point on the pencil.

In the practical use of the machine, the abrading wheel, when made ofemery or carborundum, will last for an indefinite length of time, forthe reason that there is no appreciable wear on said wheel, but shouldwear take place it is desirable to make provision for the adjustment ofthe holder, L, in order that it may retain its cooperative relation tothe face of the abrading wheel.

The material which is removed from the pencil by the action of theabrading wheel drops into the chamber, a, so as to be collected thereby,thus preventing the material from soiling the hands of the operator, andfrom dropping on to the table or desk.

In removing the pencil from the machine after the point has been formedthereon, it is not necessary to adjust the feed carriage, J, for thereason that the operator can press the carriage, I, and the chuck, K,backward against the tension of the spring, 0, for a sufficient distanceto disconnect the butt end of the pencil from the chuck, after which thepointed end of the pencil can be withdrawn from the holder.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pencil-pointing mechanism, achuck adapted to receive the end portion of a pencil, means for rotatingsaid chuck, a tension device operating to yieldingly move the chucktoward the pencil-pointing mechanism, and means whereby the chuck andthe tension device therefor may be adjusted simultaneously to variablepositions relative to the pencil pointing mechanism, thereby enablingthe chuck to be used for supporting pencils of different lengths and atthe same time feed said pencil under yielding pressure to said pointingmechanism. 4

2. In a device of the class described, pencil-pointing mechanism, achuck adapted to receive the butt end portion of a pencil and to applypressure thereto in an endwise direction, means for rotating said chuck,and tension mechanism normally cooperating with' said chuck, saidtension. mechanism being adjustable simultaneously with the chuck and tovariable positions relative to the pencil-pointing mechanism, wherebythe chuck is shiftable to suit pencils of different lengths and iscapable of feeding such pencils under yielding pressure to said pointingmechanism.

3. In a device of the class described, pencil-pointing mechanism, asolid chuck-shaft, a chuck thereon, means for rotating the chuck-shaft,and a tension device cooperating with said chuck and shiftable bodilytherewith to variable positions relative to said pointing mechanism,whereby the chuck is adapted to accommodate pencils which vary in lengthand to feed said pencils under yielding pressure to said pointingmechanism 4. In a device of the class described, penoil-pointingmechanism, a chuck-carriage, a

solid chuck-shaft mounted in the carriage, a

chuck rotatable with the shaft and adapted to receive a butt-end of apencil for exerting endwise pressure thereon, means for rotating thechuck-shaft, and a tension device in cooperative relation to thechuck-carriage, said tension device being adjustable with thechuck-carriage at variable distances from said pointing mechanism.

5. In a device of the class described, penoil-pointing mechanism, arotatable pencil chuck, and a tension device cooperating with said chuckfor moving a pencil normally under pressure toward said pointingmechanism, said chuck and the tension device there for being shiftablesimultaneously and at will relative to said pointing mechanism, wherebypencils varying in length may be used in the machine and held under agiven pressure in cooperative relation to said pointing mechanism.

6. In a device of the class described, pencil-pointing mechanism, achuck-carriage normally free to move toward and from said pointingmechanism, a revoluble chuck on said carriage, and automatic tensiondevices cooperating with the carriage for moving said carriage and thechuck under pressure toward said pointing mechanism; said tension devicebeing adjustable with the carriage at variable distances from saidpointing mechanism.

7. In a device of the class described, penoil-pointing mechanism, asliderail, a chuckcarriage movable on said slide-rail, a rotatable chuckon said carriage and adapted for engagement with the butt-end of apencil for exerting endwise pressure thereon, and automatic tensionmechanism for moving the chuck under yieldable pressure toward thepointing mechanism, said tension mechanism being adjustable on theslide-rail and simultaneously with the chuck-carriage to variablepositions relative to the pencilpointing mechanism.

8. In a device of the class described, penoil-pointing mechanism, aslide-rail at an angle to the path of operation of said pointingmechanism, a chuck-carriage movable on said slide-rail, a rotatablechuck on said carriage, and automatic tension mechanism cooperating withthe chuck-carriage for moving the same and the chuck normally towardsaid pointing mechanism, said tension mechanism being adjustable on theslide-rail and simultaneously with the chuck-carriage to variablepositions relative to the pencilpointing mechanism.

9. In a device of the class described, penoil-pointing mechanism, twocarriages adj ustable independently of each other, a chuck on one ofsaid carriages, pressure means for moving the chuck carriage toward saidpointing mechanism, and means operatively connecting said carriageswhereby they are re tained in operative positions.

10. In a device of the class described, pen oil-pointing mechanism, arail, two independent carriages movable on said rail, means for holdingone carriage in a relatively fixed position on said rail, a chuck on theother carriage, and a pressure device cooperating with the carriages formoving the chuck and its carriage relative to the pointing mech anism.

11. In a device of the class described, pencilpointing mechanism, aslide-rail, a chuckcarriage slidable on said rail, a feed carriageadapted to have interlocking engagement with said rail, a chuck on thechuck carriage, astem connecting said carriages, and a pressure springheld in place by the stem and acting on the chuck carriage for movingthe chuck under pressure toward the pointing mechanism.

12. In a device of the class described, a shaft, an abrading membercomposed of a solid wheel of abrasive material, said member beingrotatable with the shaft, means for driving the shaft, a sliderail at anangle to the abrading member, an elongated pinion parallel to thesliderail, intermeshing spiral gears on the shaft and the elongatedpinion for driving the latter, a chuck carriage movable freely on theslide-rail, a chuck mounted on the carriage and having a pinion whichmeshes with the elongated pinion, another carriage adapted to haveinterlocking relation to the slide-rail, and a pressure devicecooperating with the aforesaid carriages and 4 adapted to press thechuck normally toward the abrading member.

13. In a device of the class described, pencil-pointing mechanism, aslide-rail, a chuckcarriage slidable on said rail, a revoluble chuckmounted in said carriage, a feed carriage adjustable at will on saidrail, and means cooperating with the chuck carriage and the feedcarriage for y-ieldably pressing the chuck and its carriage toward thepointing mechanism.

14. In a device of the class described, pencil-pointing mechanism, arotatable chuck provided with a socket which is closed at one end andopen at the other for the reception of the butt-end of a pencil, meansfor automatically exerting tension on said chuck, thereby moving itnormally toward said pointing mechanism, and a sliding and rota tablemember for rotating said chuck at all points of its travel.

15. In a device of the class described, pencil-pointing mechanism, arail, a chuck sup port movable freely back and forth on said rail, achuck mounted on said chuck-support, means for rotating said chuck, aspring actingon said chuck support, and an adjustable elementcooperating with said spring and adapted to have fixed engagement withsaid rail at different points thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL NICKUM.

Witnesses E. A. RUTENBER, FRANK J. DUNN.

